Coast To Coast
by writingtiger
Summary: The MASH members have finally gathered not only for a reunion, but the wedding of the year. HM of course!
1. Default Chapter

The phone rang. "I'll get it," Daniel Pierce said to his son as he put down his evening paper. Hawkeye was too engrossed in some French drama on T.V to reply. He sighed as he picked up the phone.  
"Hello..Why Mimi, how are you? We're getting along fine. Hawkeye is different but that's to be expected".  
Boy was that an understatement he thought as he continued to talk to his sister. The Hawkeye that left for Korea wouldn't have been caught dead watching that movie, never mind completely engrossed. He seemed to be particularly interested in the blonde heroine. A preference for blond women was another thing he'd seemed picked up overseas. 

"Hawkeye?"  
"Hmm?"  
"That was your Aunt Mimi."  
"Oh, how is she?"  
"She's doing well. Did I tell you she lived in Hawaii now?"  
"Oh, what made her move there?"  
"You know her. Expect the unexpected. We were talking and she'd really like us to pay her a visit. We could probably get Dr. Taupman to handle the clinic."  
"Sure. That'd be swell. I could even pay Kelleye a visit."  
"Kelleye?"  
"One of the nurses I met in Korea. She's a pretty cute girl. Has a sense of humor too."  
Internally Daniel Pierce crossed his fingers. Maybe this trip would help cure whatever it was that ailed his son.

It worried Daniel. Hawkeye talked about the war freely. He wasn't holding anything in, Daniel could tell, but it wasn't the whole story. Whenever he mentioned that Nurse, oh what was her name, oh Houlihan, he got almost a sad look. He seemed distracted, jumping a mile nearly every time the phone rang, and checking the mail daily, as though hungry for something. It had only increased since he returned from that trip with Toby.

That night as Hawkeye prepared for bed, he took out a picture that lay in the top drawer of his nightstand. "When am I going to get over you?" he demanded to know in frustration. The picture fluttered to the floor as he threw himself back onto the bed, staring at the ceiling. The smile of Margaret Houlihan stared blankly from the picture, her smile frozen for the ages. The memories of that trip came back.

"I hope you still feel small when you stand beside the ocean. Whenever one door closes, I hope one more opens. Promise me that you'll give faith a fighting chance, and when you get the choice to sit it out or dance, I hope you dance...I hope you dance." Hawkeye hummed along to the radio, as his faithful Packard glided along the road. This was the way he liked it. No bombs going off. No evidence one had been there. It was a relief to know he would turn the corner and not see a band of North Koreans ready to trap him.

Turn the corner he did. Half of him expected to see a small cramped building along a busy street. While it was on the boardwalk, the hotel he'd be spending the next few days at was very spacious, covered in nearly pristine, white stucco. Palm trees framed the walkway from the parking lot to the front desk. His room was oceanfront, and he had some time to enjoy it. Toby and his family wouldn't be arriving until tomorrow morning.

"Was it hard putting Emily to bed?" Margaret's sister Liz asked as she and her husband, James, tiptoed into theirroom at the Sands Oceanfront Resort.  
"She was just great," Margaret assured them. "Actually I think I'm ready for a little sleep myself," she said stifling a yawn. "Good night, Margaret."  
"Good night Liz. Good night James. Her room adjoined theirs, andboth were oceanfront. As she fumbled with the key she couldn't help but look out at the beautiful ocean. Maybe she'd take a bedtime walk, even though it was nearly midnight.

She noticed, as she wandered closer, that she wasn't the only one the ocean had lured to its wild beauty. Up the beach, she saw him. There was something so familiar about his walk. She had seen it somewhere before, but where? It was across.. A compound; walking into Pre Op; heading out of the Swamp to the Officer's Club, standing in line in the Mess Tent. His steps picked up to meet her run. Their lips picked up where they left off in Korea. Their arms embracing each other in a crushing hug.  
"What on earth are you doing here?" he asked, when they had finally decided to come up for air, still holding her in a tight embrace.  
"I'm helping my sister with my niece. How did you wind up here?"  
"I'm meeting my friend Toby, and his family. Gosh I've missed you," he said as he kissed her again.

They settled into the sand, and just sat there cuddling and talking, until the first rays of dawn started to break over the ocean. "Goodness. I can't believe we've been talking all night," she said, as they rose, brushing off the sand.  
"I'll walk you to your room."  
"Would you like to come in?" she asked.  
"Um, I want to, but I won't. I know I was a complete womanizer in Korea, but after being friends with B.J, well he taught me how special making love, and fidelity, could truly be. So I decided that the next woman I go to bed with..is going to be my wife."  
She smiled. "I wasn't talking about sex. I've been burned so many times I'm not even sure I have any desire. I just don't want this night to end. I thought when I got on that jeep and rolled out of the 4077th. I was rolling out of your life for good." When she fell asleep in the arms of Hawkeye Pierce, Margaret was certain she'd found heaven.

Later that afternoon there was a knock at her door.  
"Just a minute," she called. Her heart fluttered in excitement as she slipped on denim shorts over her swimsuit.  
"Margaret, I was hoping you were here. I wanted to introduce you to my friend Toby."  
"Hello Toby."  
"Nice to meet you," he said. He was pleasant with an easygoing smile. Margaret could see immediately why they were friends.  
"I was actually just about to take Emily, my niece, out for ice cream. Would you like to join us?"  
"I would, but unfortunately you two must excuse me. I have to meet my family for dinner. Hawkeye just insisted I had to meet you."  
"Well it's a pleasure meeting you Toby." "The pleasure is all mine ma'am. She's gorgeous," he commented to Hawkeye in a loud stage whisper.

"Auntie Margie, are we gonna go?" Emily asked as she bounded out of her parents room.  
"Yes we are sweetie. First of all I want you to meet Hawkeye."  
"Are you Aunt Margie's boyfriend?" "Emily," she rebuked her gently.  
"No. I'm a monster who eats little girls after I tickle them," he said making a playful reach for her. She squealed in delight as she hid behind her aunt.  
"Can he come with us?" Emily asked.  
"I wouldn't be in the way?" Hawkeye asked Margaret.  
"As long as you don't eat my niece," she said putting her arm in his.

"What's that?" Emily asked, pointing to the object that hung around Hawkeye's neck.  
"Oh, it's a camera," he said.  
"Oh like the kind that takes pictures?"  
"You're smart."  
"I want to take a picture of you and Aunt Margie," she said as she finished off her cone.  
"That's a great idea."  
"Hawkeye," Margaret protested, "I look a fright."  
"No, you look stunning," he said as he showed Emily what button to push.

"Auntie Margie, watch me," her niece cried as she did a cartwheel in the sand.  
"That's wonderful darling. Now come back here so we can put some more sunscreen on you."  
"Hello beautiful."  
"Ahh, good morning Hawkeye. I thought you were meeting Toby."  
"I did. I had breakfast with him and his family. Do you think you can get some time off from the mother's helper thing?"  
"I don't know, why?"  
"Because Toby, and his wife are going to have dinner tonight at The Palace, and they were wondering if we'd like to make it a party of four."  
"Oh, The Palace. It looked simply exquisite, oh but I have to watch Emily."  
"Good morning Margaret, her sister called as she approached."  
"Oh hello Liz, I'm glad you're here. Meet my friend Hawkeye."  
"Nice to meet you, wait, not the Hawkeye you told me about in your letters?"  
"I see my reputation precedes me. Did she tell you that I was immature or unmilitary?"  
"Both." "That would be me," he smiled gleefully.  
"Betcha can't catch me, Betcha can't catch me," Emily taunted Hawkeye, squealing with delight as he ran after her.

"He's good with kids," Liz remarked as they watched them play. "Does he have any of his own?"  
Margaret shook her head. "He invited me to dinner tonight at The Palace."  
"Did you say yes?"  
"No, I agreed to watch Emily. I have an obligation."  
"Margaret Jane Houlihan, you accept this instant. Besides James and I were discussing if we should spend more time with her this morning."  
"I didn't bring along anything I can wear."  
"James can watch her while we go shopping."  
"But what about.." Margaret started to protest."  
"No buts."  
"What about George?"  
Liz rolled her eyes. "What about him? You're not going to think about him, period. You are going to go out with Hawkeye, and you are going to have the most amazing evening you've ever had. Now go tell him."  
Liz ran to grab her car keys while Margaret approached Hawkeye, who was in the middle of a serious chasing game with Emily.  
"Hold on," he signaled to her. Margaret was ready to melt. He looked so cute with his hair tousled, and trying to catch his breath. "Well?"  
"I can go. Liz and I are going to go shopping."  
"No shopping, Auntie Margie I want to play with you and Hawkeye," Emily protested.  
"We'll get you ice cream," Margaret promised. "Okay," she agreed.

"Where is my perfume?" Margaret asked in despair as she sifted through the clutter on her dresser top. The beachfront hotel room had been turned into the ultimate dressing room as Liz helped her do her hair.  
"Right here," Emily said, handing her the small vial, eager for the chance to help. There was a knock at the door.  
"Your prince is here."  
Margaret dove into the bathroom.  
"Go stall Emily," her mother instructed her, "and don't let him come in."  
"I can't let you in," Emily informed him importantly as she came out, shutting the door behind her.  
"Isn't your aunt ready yet?"  
"No. Mommy made her try on a lot of dresses."  
"I see." Hawkeye said with a laugh.  
"Do you like Auntie Margie?"  
"I do."  
"Are you her friend?"  
"I guess you could call it that, yeah."  
"I'm happy when I play with my friends. You must play with her a lot because she's been really happy."  
"Really?" Hawkeye continued to listen, betraying the fact that she was quite an eye opener. "Isn't she usually happy?" he asked.  
"Yes, but she laughs more than she usually does."

A clearing of the throat turned his attention to the now open doorway. "Wow Margaret. You look fantastic." Her jet black sheath clung to her in all the right places, setting off her light tan perfectly. Her blonde hair fell about her shoulders in loose, wavy curls.  
"Thank you Hawkeye, you don't look too bad yourself." He wore a tuxedo that was much nicer than the one she had seen in the Officers Club ironed by laying under his mattress.  
"So tell me more about Toby," she said, as they walked off arm in arm down the boardwalk toward the restaurant.  
"Well, we grew up together in Crabapple Cove of course. Than while I was off sewing kids back together, he got married and moved down to North Carolina for a job offer. In some ways it's odd, I've known him forever, and can tell him anything, yet I feel just as close to B.J, or Trap."  
"You've been through a lot with them, it makes sense."  
"Good evening Hawk, good evening Margaret" Toby greeted them. "This is my wife Maureen," Toby said putting his arm around a brunette in an emerald green gown.  
"Pleased to meet you," she said.

"If you'll excuse me, I have to use the powder room," Hawkeye said as he rose from the table.  
"What have you done to him?" Toby asked Margaret the moment Hawkeye was out of earshot.  
"What do you mean?" "Hawkeye has changed so dramatically it's unbelievable."  
"How has he changed?"  
"When I talked him into coming down here, he was depressed and wanted to bury himself in work and Crabapple Cove forever. This morning at breakfast, he was happier than I've ever seen him. It's a good thing,"  
"I'm glad it's good," Margaret said, letting his words soak in. Happier than he'd ever seen him...  
"Hello kids, what did I miss?" Hawkeye asked as he sat back down.  
"Nothing much," Toby said as he and his wife exchanged a knowing glance.

"Your friend Toby is simply charming," Margaret said when the four had decided to call it a night.  
"He's a fast learner. Hey I just had an idea," he said, and started to steer her toward the parking lot.  
"Where are we going?"  
"Step in mademoiselle."  
"Where are you taking me?"  
"Away from the boardwalk. Unless you wanted to go to bed."  
"Not a chance. It's only ten thirty."

He fiddled with the radio he kept in the trunk of his car. "I hope you dance... I hope you dance," floated out into the night. "Dance with me. There's no one but us."

That was the truth. They'd driven far down the coast until they came to a deserted spot of beach, far from the nightlife, and crowds. She kicked off her heels, and put her arms around him. "You look gorgeous tonight," he whispered. "You said that already." "I can't get over it. I've missed you much more than I realized." "I've missed you a lot too," she said. "I think I'm falling for you."  
Her heart quickened. "What?"  
"Margaret, I know you've been burned. But I don't' want to burn you. I don't want to be a one night stand or even a weekend fling. I want to be yours."  
"Don't be. Just love me."  
"I already do."

"You lied," Hawkeye said as he rose from his bed, and started pacing the floor, snapping out of his memories. She had looked so beautiful that night, and he had been so in love with her. How could everything have turned out so wrong? How could she have neglected such a major detail? Or had he made a mistake? He didn't think so. She had given him every indication. He didn't know what to think anymore. He started to throw odds and ends into a suitcase. Maybe he could convince his dad to take off earlier than they'd planned.

"Flight 238 from Salt Lake to Honolulu now boarding," a flight attendant called over the intercom. "That's us," Daniel said, as they rose from the hard airport chairs, stretching the cramps out.  
"It will be great to see Aunt Mimi again," Hawkeye remarked as he took a seat by the window.  
"It's been awhile."  
"At least a couple of years since before I left for Korea."  
Shortly after takeoff, Daniel Pierce was sound asleep, leaving Hawkeye with plenty of time to think, something he'd been trying to avoid. Not that it would make any difference. Nothing would change that horrible day.

He'd woken up in her room again. It seemed the only thing he used his room for was showering and changing. Which was exactly what he'd gone back to do. There was a knock on his door.  
"Come in."  
"Hey Hawk."  
"Good morning Toby."  
"Hey another buddy of mine came down here too. He's surprising his fiancé, but then we're going to play pool."  
"That sounds like fun. Count me in."  
"So you feel like coming to breakfast with my family?"  
"Let's go."  
"Why good morning," Toby called to a gentleman they passed on the way.  
"Good morning Toby," the gentleman greeted him. He was dressed in formal military uniform decorated with more than a few symbols of recognition. "Hawkeye, meet my friend, George."  
"I'm pleased to meet you, George. It's been awhile since I've seen an outfit like that."  
"Is that so?"  
"Hawkeye served in Korea."  
"Oh so did my fiancé. Speaking of my girl, I had better go. I can't wait to see her."

There was a waiting line at the restaurant. "It will be about twenty minutes," the hostess told them. They waited on a bench, and Cherie, Toby's oldest daughter climbed on Hawkeye's lap.  
"How are you this morning?" sheasked, her little brown pigtails bouncing.  
"I'm good," he said, reaching down to adjust his wallet. Wait where was his wallet?  
"Toby, I forgot my wallet. I'll be right back."  
He wanted to ask Margaret to join them, but she was probably busy with her sister's family.

"Hawkeye," a small girl asked as he unlocked the door to his room. "Oh hi Emily, how are you this morning"  
"Can you come and play with me. Aunt Margie's busy."  
"What's she doing?"  
"Talking to some man, and totally ignoring me."  
"What man? Where are they?"  
"She keeps calling him Colonel," she said, and pointed to over to where Hawkeye saw George. "My fiancé served in Korea," echoed in his mind. He had never dreamed they were talking about the same woman. George reached for Margaret's hand. They were completely engrossed in conversation, and Margaret had the same look on her face she had had last night. He wondered how many more times she had used that look. The question made him sick. He felt the blood drain from his face. She was just having fun with him. Heck, she'd never taken him seriously, outside of OR, in Korea. Why should it be different now?" He noticed Emily still stood there waiting for an answer. "Actually sweetie, I'm going home. Tell your auntie goodbye for me when she's done talking to the Colonel."

Margaret banged on the door. "Hawkeye, Hawkeye." A hotel maid opened it. "Can I help you miss?"  
"I need to speak to the gentleman who was checked into this room. Is he here?"  
"There's no one checked into this room now miss. I'm sorry but it looks like they checked out this morning."  
"Thank you," she said, in a voice that didn't sound like her own.  
"I'm sorry. He said not to until you were done talking with that man," Emily said in a small voice. She looked as though she were about to cry. "Don't worry sweetie," Margaret said, scooping her niece into a hug.

don't worry, more to come. Please feel free to review what you've read so far!


	2. Beyond The West Coast

_disclaimer: I don't' own Hawkeye, Margaret, or any of that other "honestly I'm not taking credit for your trademarked character" stuff_

"Hey Hawkeye?"  
"What?" he mumbled as he jumped a mile.  
"Take it easy son. We're here."  
He looked around. 'That is the last time I'm even going to think about her. She's out of my life. Period. End of story, he thought as they made their way into a sea of smiling local girls giving out leis.

"Daniel Pierce, it is so good to see you!" his sister exclaimed as she gave him a hug. It was impossible to miss the old girl. The Pierce tradition of being flamboyant and funny had not left her untouched. She had a presence wherever she went, even if she was all of five foot two. Black sunglasses were perched atop her red curly hair. She wore a Hawaiian print shirt with black petal pushers. "Where is my nephew?" she wondered.  
"I don't' know," Daniel wondered as he looked around. He'd been positive his son was right on his heels. He looked back over at the crowd of Hawaiian girls. Sure enough his son was in the center of it, loaded with flowery garlands, and heaping praises and empty promises on them in return.  
"Haha, he's still got that way with women," his aunt laughed.

He turned again, this time on his side. That always helped him in Korea. He heard his aunt's grandfather clock softly give off the hour. Two a.m., and he still couldn't sleep. He turned on the light. He opened up his carryon at the end of the couch, carefully pulling out the photo. He was glad he'd let Emily take it. At the same time, he wished she hadn't. At the same time he wanted to take Margaret in his arms and make her love him no matter what, he wanted to yell at her, and shut her out of his life for good.

"I thought I saw the light on," his Aunt Mimi said, as she padded into the room and perched herself on the arm of the couch. "Oh I'm sorry. I didn't mean to wake you up. I can turn it off right now."  
"Who's the woman?"  
"What woman?"  
"In the picture."  
"Have you been talking to my dad?"  
She shook her head. "You know I think I have some of those brownies you liked so much when you were a kid, and some milk?"  
He followed her into the kitchen. "That was Margaret."  
"She seemed lovely in the picture."  
"She's a snake in the grass."  
"Can I ask why?" she inquired as she sat a plate of brownies in front of her nephew. The whole story of the fateful trip came spilling out. "Well Hawkeye. Being a woman I can see both points of view, and I can tell you that if she really loved her fiancé, you wouldn't have stood a chance."  
"I'm so hurt I'm not sure if I can stand one of her chances," he quipped.  
"Your dad did mention you had an army friend out here?"  
"Yeah, her name's Kelleye. She works at Pearl Harbor."  
"Why don't you borrow my car tomorrow? You could go pay her a visit."  
"You wouldn't mind?"  
She laughed. "Not at all. I could hardly expect you to spend your entire visit with a few old fogies like your dad, and myself."

"Could you tell me if Nurse Nakahara is on duty today?" Hawkeye asked the nurse behind the desk.  
She looked at him skeptically. "Is she expecting you?"  
"No, I'm a friend of hers from Korea."  
"Hmm. Lets see," the nurse said thoughtfully as she checked a chart. "I'm not supposed to do this, but if you maybe walk up to the second floor, you'll find her in the maternity ward." "Thank you."

He stopped at the desk. Her back was turned. "Did anyone call a Yankee Doodle Doc?" he asked in his best Groucho voice. Nurse Kelleye turned around.  
"Hawkeye Pierce, how did you recognize me without the khaki?" she asked laughingly.  
"How did you recognize me?" he laughed.  
"So what brings you to my island?"  
"My favorite aunt happens to live down the street, so while Aunt Mimi, and my dad do whatever it is that old people like to do, I thought I'd come up here, and look up one of the best MASH nurses ever."  
"That's nice," she said. "Listen, I'm done with my rounds here for a little bit. Would you like a tour?"  
"That'd be great. So do you always work on the maternity ward?"  
"Yes, it's a lot more fun working with babies. It's also hilarious to watch some of these new fathers. You almost wonder what would happen if we actually let them in the delivery room."

"So do you keep in touch with anyone from the 4077th?" Kelleye asked.  
"Oh yeah, I talk with B.J once a month. He's going to be a father again."  
"Anyone else?"  
"Uh, Margaret, but I'd prefer not to touch that one."  
"I just got a letter from Potter. He said Mildred is making the biggest fuss over him."  
"I'm not surprised."  
They continued to talk about their old comrades, and new lives. He realized how good it felt to have someone around who was there. "So you wouldn't maybe want to go out dancing or anything tonight would you?" he asked.  
"I'd love to."

He picked her up at seven thirty. "So my lady, where would you recommend we start this evening? I was thinking perhaps dinner is a good beginning."  
"Do you like lobster?"  
"Lobster? Do I like lobster? Is Groucho funny? Is the moon made of cheese? Well wait, I don't know about the cheese but you have to agree about Groucho."  
"The Tidal Wave has the best lobster in all the islands. It's just around the corner."

"You're just as good a dancer as ever," Kelley complimented him as they sat one out.  
"May I say the same about you? You could give Ginger Rogers a run for her money?"  
"Oh yeah," she said looking at something behind him, suddenly looking rather sad.  
"Hey I said Ginger Rogers right?"  
"Yeah," she said trying to smile. "What's going on?" he asked looking behind him. "I'm okay," she said. Suddenly the music seemed incredibly loud. "Do you want to go?" he asked. She nodded.

"What happened in there?" he asked, as they wandered along the shore. "One minute we were having fun, the next you just looked like you lost your best friend."  
"There was someone I was serious about before I left for Korea. I saw him in there with another girl, and it really hurt."  
Suddenly, it was as though he were watching him and another nurse from an outside view. "Kelleye, if there was anything Korea taught me, it's that if you feel something for someone you have to let them know. Go back in there, and tell him if you still love him. Now."  
"I do, but I don't think his date would appreciate that."  
"Right." He fell silent, trying not to remember that horrible trip.

"Hey Nurse Kelleye?"  
"Yes Nurse Donahue?"  
"Would you mind covering the cardiac floor for now? Nurse Regan was in a car accident, and they're a little short."  
"Goodness, is she okay?" It was touchy at first, but she'll pull through."  
"I'm right on it," she said as she put down her charts.

"Whew, I'm glad you're here. The nurses have their hands full with a big one. Colonel Alvin Houlihan, on of the big guys in the States was just brought in with a heart attack." "Houlihan? Can I be the nurse on that one?" "Actually I was just about to ask, knowing all the experience you had in Korea in emergency medicine. You'll find him in Room 5."

"Kelleye?" "Yes doctor?" "You served in Korea didn't you?" "Yes sir," she replied as she adjusted the Colonel's IV." "You should meet his daughter. She served in a MASH unit. You two might have a few things in common." "Where is she?" As if on cue, Margaret Houlihan walked into the room. "Kelleye, what a pleasant surprise. I wish it were under better circumstances" "As do I Major." Margaret shook her head. "I gave up army life. It's plain old Margaret now," she said as she looked at her father who was currently asleep. "How is he?" "Touch and go, but don't worry. Dr. O'Neil is one of the best on our staff." "That's good to know." Kelleye could hardly believe this was the same woman who had been head nurse of her unit. She was pale, and looked like she hadn't slept in ages. "When was the last time you ate Major? I'm sorry I meant Margaret." "I don't know. Honestly I haven't thought about food for awhile?" "Why don't we go down into the cafeteria? My treat. Your father is going to be asleep for awhile, and your mom is resting in a room down the hall. They'll page me if there's any change in your father.

The two women wound up quietly talking late into the night as daughter kept vigil at her father's bed. When the 4077th came up, Margaret started crying. "I thought he loved me, and he just disappeared," she sobbed.  
"Margaret, he still loves you." "How do you know?" "I've kept in touch," she said. She would let Margaret know Hawkeye was in Hawaii. She was just going to wait until Margaret was a stronger woman.

Kelleye finished her rounds fifteen minutes before her lunch break so she could have a chance to check in at the cardiac unit.  
"How's your father doing?"  
"He's much better. Dr O'Neil is a wonder."  
"He sure is. That's great about your dad." "Actually I need to send a telegram to my sister."  
"There's a post office next door."  
"Thank you."  
"Actually did you want me to send it for you?"  
"No, I need some air. Would you like to join me for lunch? It would give me a chance to pay you back for last night. I wanted to thank you for being there when I needed someone."  
"Thank you. I wish I could but I'm meeting someone for lunch. How about tomorrow? The café next to the post office has the best shakes."

It felt good to be outside in the tropical air. For the past few days, she had been so cooped up in the hospital, constantly at her father's side. Maybe she would give that café a shot after she left the post office. Even though the post office was only next door, she hopped in her rental car. The sooner her sister knew the better.

Walking in the café next door, she noticed Kelleye with, no, it couldn't be, and she would have said something. Margaret should have known. He didn't conquer every woman in their unit so he was going back down the list. He gazed over in her direction. Their eyes locked. "Margaret," he said standing up.

She ran out, jumping in her car, she just drove; she didn't know where she was going. She just had to go, now. How could Kelley not have mentioned anything? She had once thought there might have been something in Korea. She remembered a particularly passionate sounding argument once, during a hospital inspection. However it couldn't have been anything like what they had had. Her eyes burned with unshed tears as she found her car driving along the beach. It brought back so many memories of the nights they had shared in Virginia. If only she had had a chance.

"She's got her nerve. I have to find that woman and give her a piece of my mind."  
"How come you left before you did?"  
"How did you know about that?"  
"We talked about a lot of things while her father was in surgery."  
"Surgery? What kind of surgery?"  
"Her father had a heart attack. He's doing better now."  
"Wow, I got to find her."  
"Try the beach."  
"How do you know?"  
"That's the only place that road leads to."  
"Great thanks Kelleye. You're terrific."  
"Hawkeye, one thing first."  
"Yeah?"  
"Just don't forget to send me a wedding invitation."

She sat on the hood of the car, staring out at the ocean, trying unsuccessfully to calm down. She should get back to the hospital. All she could remember were the good times, playing with her niece, dancing to the radio. If only he hadn't seen what happened! As a car squealed into the parking lot, she got into hers. Her father needed her. She looked up, seeing Hawkeye in the window shield. "What are you doing? Get off my car," she screeched.

"Margaret Jane Houlihan, you get out here, and talk to me now. That's an order."  
"You can't order me, Benjamin Franklin Pierce. I'm a major."  
"You can't pull rank on me because we're out of the army. How come you didn't tell me you were engaged?"  
"What does it matter? You seemed engaged enough with Kelleye."  
"Margaret, I was in love with you. Then the next day, your Colonel Fiancé shows up."  
"George is not my fiancé."  
"What do you mean? He's got enough brass he could pass for a tin soldier. I can't compete with that."  
"Who said he was competition? I liked George, but he was overly confident that I was going to marry him."  
"Don't give me that. I saw that look on your face."  
"Obviously your ears weren't burning because I was telling him I was in love with you!"

"Really?"  
"Yes, really."  
"Do you still love me?"  
"Maybe. Do you still love me?" she asked moving closer.  
"Love you?" he asked drawing closer to her. "I love you more than I've loved any other woman," he said. "All I've done since than is think about you, and wonder. Particularly I've wondered what it would be like to spend the rest of my life with you." "I want to spend it with you." He dropped to one knee. "Margaret, I don't' have a ring, but I can't wait another moment to make it official. Besides I've spent the last month rehearsing it in my mind. It'd be a shame to let it go to waste." She laughed. "Margaret, I want this time we've spent apart to be the last. I've loved you longer, and more than I've ever loved anyone. I want to wake up each morning with you in my arms, and don't want to go to sleep one more night without kissing you first. Will you do me the honor of being my wife?"

"Yes Hawkeye. I will." He kissed her, then picked her up and spun her around. "You said yes?"  
"Yes I did. We'll have the biggest ceremony Crabapple Cove has ever seen."  
"You want to get married in Crabapple Cove?"  
"It's where we'll live isn't it?"  
"Margaret you're the most wonderful woman in the whole world," he rejoiced, pulling her in for yet another kiss.  
"But what about your friends and family?" "They live all over the world. I'll still see everyone just as much if I live in Maine or anyplace else."  
"Well we should head back to the hospital."  
"Yeah, I want to tell my parents."  
"Not so fast."  
"Why?"  
"I need to ask the Colonel Houlihan for his daughter."

"The doctor gave us his permission," Margaret said coming out of her father's hospital room. They had been engaged for a few days, however they were apprehensive. They both remembered Alvin Houlihan's visit to the 4077th, and how he and Hawkeye had not gotten along. There was no telling how he'd react or how it might damage his heart. "Aw, let's just tell him."  
"Okay. No, no, I want to do this right." "Hawkeye Pierce, don't tell me you're scared of my father?" "I'm not." The room was dark. It took a moment for his eyes to adjust. "Who are you?" he barked. "We've met before. I'm Hawkeye. I served with your daughter in Korea." He turned to look at him. "Oh, it's you. Sit down, sit down," he said motioning to a stool next to the bed. "When she told me she was running around with one of you, I was hoping it wasn't that other man. You know, the pompous fellow." "Oh, you mean Winchester?" "Hmmph, windbag would be more appropriate. I shudder at the thought of someone like my daughter with someone like him." Hawkeye's nerves started to disappear as he joined him in a laugh. "So what brings you my way? From what I understand you're a doctor in Maine?" "Yes sir." "I wasn't aware of an army base up there. You work at one of the hospitals I assume?" "No, I run a clinic with my dad in Crabapple Cove."

"You're not at an army hospital?" he asked. His tone was getting dangerously stiff.  
Hawkeye swallowed. "No sir."  
"State your purpose then."  
"Excuse me."  
"You aren't here for a social call, and there's no point denying as much."  
"Well, I'm here..." he stammered suddenly feeling very stupid.  
"That's obvious. Now why are you here?"  
"Colonel, I'm here because I love Margaret very much, and I would like to ask you for her hand – in marriage."  
"No. My daughter will never marry anyone below her rank. I forbid it."  
"Wait, you are aware Margaret's left the army?"  
"Of course. Mr. Pierce, you may think I am completely blind to my daughter's wishes, but I am not as much in the dark as you'd like to think. She is not going to be happy running off to some small town clinic with a playboy doctor. My answer is no." "Doctor, I mean Colonel. I've changed my ways since Korea." "A leopard can't change his spots." "No, but a woman can change a man's heart," Hawkeye stated tersely, as he stood up to leave. The tension in the room was thick enough to cut with a scalpel, and this discussion was going nowhere fast.  
The Colonel coughed as he started to laugh. "You aren't what I pictured for my daughter, but you're a lot better than some of those army fellows she could've picked. Heck, a few of those she could break in half without a grunt."  
"Sir?"  
"Marry my daughter. Just hold off the wedding until I can get out of here, and walk her down the aisle."  
"Yes sir. Thank you."  
"Go tell her."

Margaret paced back and forth. The yelling she had heard made her nervous. Was her fiancé to be still alive? Had her father recovered enough to kill him? 'I shouldn't have let him go in alone,' she worried "Hawkeye, you're alive," she sighed as she hugged him.  
"About to be married too."  
"He gave his permission?"  
"Yes, and he hasn't disowned you." She rushed into his room. "Thank you daddy," she said hugging him gingerly.  
He grabbed her hand. "I hope you know what you're doing."  
"I do daddy. I'm going to be happy you'll see." She suspected her father wanted her to marry someone in the military and become an army wife, and she appreciated his sacrifice.

_not to fear; because this is not the end. Hang on for more suprises, as Hawkeye and Margaret get even closer to the altar..._


	3. Leaving Maine

Margaret hummed as she pulled into the driveway of her rented Victorian home. Life was so perfect, she thought sighing happily. Her marriage to the love of her life was in less than two months. Wedding plans had never been easier, and she had never been happier. As long as she could remember, she had carried around a feeling that she didn't belong. She didn't feel that now. The citizens of Crabapple had made sure that the future Mrs. Pierce had a place in the community. She picked up the box of invitations that sat in the passenger seat, placing them carefully on the table as she passed through the kitchen. He would be over in a few hours for dinner, then afterward they would get down to the business of addressing, and sending them out. 

She opened the box, taking one out carefully, just to make sure there were no mistakes, when there was a knock at the door. Hmm, Hawkeye was very early. He was supposed to be at the clinic still. She opened the door ready to throw her arms around her fiancée.  
"Hello Margaret, angel. Louise left me, so I though I'd come and see what you were up to," Frank said.  
"Frank Burns what on earth are you doing here?"  
"Well, I'm not married anymore, so now I can be with you."  
"What makes you think I haven't moved on?"  
"I know you moved. I was surprised to hear that you moved here so close to that degenerate Pierce, but we don't' have to associate with him."

The phone rang. "Hold on a minute, Frank, I need to grab that." While talking with Frank, she had dropped the invitation she held on a chair. Frank picked it up. It couldn't be. He had to get Margaret away to where she was safe. She couldn't love Pierce. He was forcing her to wed. That had to be it. He would take her away. They'd be safe there. But where was there? He'd figure that out eventually. He waited until she was done talking, then grabbed her.

"Frank where are you taking me?" Margaret screamed as his tight clutches carried her out of her home. "I'm getting out of the car," she announced as he slammed the door.  
"Oh, I wouldn't do that if I were you," he said in his whinny singsong. He withdrew a gun and pointed it at her. "You're going to leave that door shut," he ordered, as he pulled out of her driveway.  
"Do you always carry a gun?" she asked in exasperation.  
"Of course. You never know when you're going to run into one of those "Reds," he said lowering his voice in a conspirital whisper.  
"Frank, look I'm going to marry Hawkeye, so let me go now."  
"You're not marrying him. That's why I took you away. I took you away to save you." Margaret looked at her surroundings frantically. What luck. Frank was going right past the clinic. Margaret rolled down the window. "Hawkeye, help me," she yelled at the building.  
"What do you think you're doing Margaret?" Frank demanded as he pushed harder on the gas.  
"I don't want to go with you Frank. I want to stay here. I've moved on. I don't' love you anymore."  
"I knew it. You've been brainwashed. Don't worry my angel. We'll get you taken care of!"  
"Frank, let me out of this car, now," she demanded in a panic.  
"No, no, no," he laughed.  
The quaint sign that read "Leaving Crabapple Cove" made her want to cry as they passed it.

"What are you going to do to me?" she asked. "Oh Margaret, it's not what I'm going to do to you, with you is more like it. Hehehe." His laugh sent chills down her spine. Margaret thought quickly. What would Hawkeye do? She thought back to Korea where getting drunk was his answer for everything. That was it. The Frank she had known wasn't exactly a teetotaler, but if she could get him drunk enough, he'd pass out. She'd take over, and drive him to the nearest police station. She forced a smile on her face.  
"Frank, you're right. I'm a free woman. Let's celebrate."  
"I knew kidnapping you was the best thing I could do for you."  
"Maybe we could settle down in Boston."  
"No. If Pierce comes looking for you, that might be one of the first places he'd look. How about Montana? Lots of open spaces." "Frank," she said softening her tone. She cringed inside, but knew if she was going to make this work, it had to be to the upmost perfection. "Let's celebrate."  
"How do you want to celebrate?"  
"Why don't we go to a bar?"  
"Well I suppose we could have a few. We'll stop in Boston."

What was only a few hours seemed interminable to Margaret. "Remember I have a gun darling," he reminded her as they pulled into an Irish pub.  
"Don't you trust me darling?"  
"I'm just not sure what kind of ideas those people have tried to brainwash you with. I want to make sure you don't get scared of me and run. My gun is a way of keeping you close. Don't you remember how guns turn you on?" he said as he looped an arm around her. She squirmed uncomfortably.

She took an occasional sip to calm her nerves as she watched the volume of liquid in Franks cup. One beer, two beers...  
"Would you like me to order you a scotch Frank?"  
"Oh no. Is your drink okay Margaret? You've hardly touched it. Do you need me to help you drink it?"  
"Certainly. I thought it had a funny taste though."  
Hhe took a sip. "I don't taste anything weird."  
"Maybe you should try it again."  
"I still don't notice anything unusual."  
"Hmm."  
Celtic music started to fill the air as a row of Scottish dancers took the stage. "Oh Margaret, can we go?"  
"Why Frank?"  
"Celitc music gives me a headache, and I want some quiet time with you."  
"Oh, but this kind of music is my favorite," she told him trying to be heard above the slamming feet and beating drums.  
"Margaret, this is the only time I'm going to ask you nicely."  
Where was the pansy I knew in Korea? She wondered as she was forced into his car once again. Frank opened the dash board and popped some pills before starting the car. "What were those?" Margaret asked in alarm.  
"Oh just some pills. They keep a cowboy feeling good. Of course I won't be needing them as much since I have you again." "Frank what exactly do those pills do?" she demanded to know.  
"They're really little vitamins. No harm at all."  
"So what do you want to do in Montana?" she tossed off casually, trying to relax.  
"Oh, we could open a practice somewhere, or I could open a practice. You'll stay at home with our sons."  
"Our sons, huh?"  
"Of course Margaret. Louise only gave me girls. I need a boy I can pass the great legacy of Burns men to."

The reflections of flashing lights began swirling their colors together in the rearview mirror.  
"Frank, you need to pull over," she insisted.  
"I don't see any reason to do so. I'm not breaking any laws," he corrected her as he sped up.  
"Frank those cops are trying to pull you over," she cried, as she prayed her seatbelt would do its job.  
They rounded a bend, with Frank almost running their car off the road in the process. He sped the car around the others, avoiding several near accidents by the skin of his teeth. Down he sped into a suburb, the cops still close on his tail. Brakes squealed as two cop cars made up a road block. Margaret saw her escape, and dashed out of the car. Frank fired hitting her directly in the back.

"Drop your gun," one of the policemen ordered. Frank reluctantly got out of the car, hands up. "I didn't mean to kill her," he said in a daze. One of the cops went to check her out. He shook his head as he assessed the pool of blood on her back. "This isn't looking good Chief."


	4. Boston General

A man darted out of his house down the street.  
"Let me help. I'm a doctor," he said to the police. "Holy cow," he sighed as he looked at the patient.  
"Wait isn't she dead?"  
"No Sergeant, but if you don't let this guy through she'll be there in no time."  
He set the First Aid kit he had brought down next to him, and started immediately applying gauze to the wound. "Haven't you guys called an ambulance?" he yelled. As if on cue the ambulance pulled up.  
"We can take over from here," one of them instructed. They turned the victim on one side to get a pulse giving the doctor a clear look at her face. He felt the blood drain as a million thoughts swirled through his mind. "Oh my gosh. Margaret!"  
"Do you know this woman?"  
"Yes, her name is Margaret Houlihan. Get her to Boston General on the double. I'm going to let her family know." He dashed inside the house and dialed Maine.  
"Hello?"  
"Hey Hawk?"  
"Hey Trapper, you caught me at kind of a bad time."  
"It's about to get worse. You need to get down to Boston on the double. Margaret's been shot."  
"Trapp, that isn't funny."  
"I'm not joking. Just get down here as fast as you can."  
"Oh my gosh. Is she okay? What can you tell me? Who shot her?"  
"Not anything good. What's the name of the crackerjack you know down at Boston General?"  
"Charles, um, Winchester."  
"I'll see if I can get him on it." 

"What on earth was she doing down in Boston? She was supposed to be cooking dinner, and helping me address wedding invitations," Hawkeye wondered aloud. "Don't worry son," Daniel assured him as he drove. After seeing how upset Hawkeye was, and with good reason, he refused to let Hawkeye do as much as drive.  
"Can you go faster? Lean on the gas," he insisted.  
"Hawkeye, I'm going as fast as I can," he assured him as he leaned on the gas a little more.  
The drive to Boston was silent. Hawkeye had a flood of questions. How had she ended up there in the first place? That didn't matter as much as who shot her. He would see to it personally that the creep would never see the light of day again.

It was a whiter Trapper than Hawkeye had ever seen that met them in the ER. Blood was still on his shirt. Margaret's blood, Hawkeye registered woodenly.  
"How does it look?"  
"Not good. Her pulse has been faint. They could lose her Hawk."  
He didn't want to say it, but felt he should prepare Hawkeye just in case. Hawkeye made an angry fist with his hands. "Whoa steady Hawk. Take it easy," Trapper urged him, stepping back a little should he need to jump out of harms way.  
"Who did this?"  
"Frank?"  
"Frank? What the hell was she doing with that – that- son of a..." he started to yell.  
Daniel grabbed him. "Let me go," he yelled angrily.  
"Hawkeye, your anger is not going to help Margaret," Daniel reminded him.  
"I used my connections, and got that Winchester fellow working on her right now. She's in the best hands she could be in," Trapper insisted.  
"She shouldn't be here. I should have been there to protect her," he started to sob, "Did I do something wrong?"  
"No. It's not your fault," Daniel said as he hugged him. "Trapper we're going to need coffee?"

It was a long vigil through the night as the three waited and waited. Finally Winchester appeared. "Hawkeye?"  
"How is she?" his stomach sank as he saw how serious the former army surgeon looked. His countenance bore a certain grimness.  
"She's alive."  
"Thank God. Thank you so much Winchester, I don't know how I could ever repay you, he said as he gave him a gigantic hug. "Hawkeye, I didn't say she was out of the woods yet. Her spinal cord suffered a hit."  
"Is she paralyzed?"  
He nodded. "We won't know the extent of it until she awakens. She could spend the rest of her life in a wheelchair."  
"Wait you said could?"  
"I have a colleague of mine who just wrote a paper on paralysis and some fascinating therapies he's been working to develop. Also, as you are aware, I'm sure; time itself could improve her condition. Would you like to see her now?" Hawkeye nodded. "Gentleman?"  
"We'll catch up," Daniel said.

His throat choked as he saw her, almost lost in the jumble of tubes and machines. "Oh my love," he whispered as he approached the bed. He gently cradled her hand is his. "Hey sweetheart, I know you've been through a lot, but you're going to be okay. Remember we have a wedding to plan? A life together, full of children, and medicine, and ladies bazaars."  
Her eyes slowly fluttered open. "I'm so tired."  
"Shhh, I'm here now. That's all that matters."  
"I love you."  
"I love you too. I'm so happy you're awake. When Trapper called me I was so scared. You're going to be okay."  
"Hawkeye, don't – I feel so weak."  
"Don't go anywhere you hear me. The only place you're going to is straight back to Crabapple Cove to become my wife."  
"I'm so tired."  
"Go to sleep then. I love you."

Her pulse line started to flatten. "Out of the way Pierce." He was roughly pushed aside as the doctor started pulling out all the machinery.  
"What are you doing? You're killing her," he cried. The face of Frank Burns turned back to face him. "Hahaha. She's no longer yours, Pierce."  
"No," he cried sitting up. "No, no, no."  
Daniel Pierce jumped off the other bed in the room, and shook his son awake. "Hawkeye, snap out of it Come on." Hawkeye sat straight up, breathing hard. "It – was – so real," Hawkeye gasped.  
"What was?"  
"I dreamed Frank Burns was killing Margaret."  
"She's down the hall. Let's go see her again."

Charles had urged Hawkeye and Daniel to go home with him, and get some sleep.  
"There's nothing more you can do for her right now."  
Hawkeye refused to leave her side and Daniel refused to leave Hawkeye to his own devices. Winchester had then arranged for them to use an empty room next to Margaret's.  
"See she's right here," Daniel soothed as they opened the door.  
Hawkeye sank into the chair next to Margaret's bedside. Just looking at him at that moment gave Daniel so much pain. It amazed him how much his son looked like him when he had been in a similar position. Sitting in a chair next to a hospital bed, pleading for his wife to get better and come home to her husband and young son. He also remembered the many nights he spent asleep in a similar chair as Hawkeye was doing right now. Gently Daniel slipped a pillow behind his head, and tucked a blanket around him before turning out the light.

The first rays of dawn flickered through the blinds, hitting Hawkeye square in the eyes. His eyes fluttered open. He had such a headache. What had happened? Then it all came rushing back in the ugly truth of day. Margaret being shot; the horrible nightmare, it was comparable to the worst night he had ever spent in Korea, except it was even more horrible, and terrifying. He looked at the woman in the bed, gently brushing a lock of hair from her face. She started to stir. Her eyes opened.  
"I didn't wake you did I?"  
"No. I'm really scared Hawkeye. I can't feel my legs."  
"You've been hit in your spinal cord."  
"My spinal cord?" Reluctantly, he nodded.

She was silent, trying to process this new information. She wouldn't be able to do nursing anymore. That couldn't be. Nursing was her life. It was all she knew. In an instant, all the times she had walked down hospital corridors, sandy beaches, or even shopping malls, flashed before her eyes. She wished she hadn't taken it so much for granted. "Winchester has a friend he wants you to see. Apparently the guy is a real expert at physical therapy. She nodded, and tried to smile. The last thing she wanted to do was worry Hawkeye. The poor guy had a rough night too, she realized as she caressed his cheek. He basked in her touch, more valuable to him at that moment than anything else in the world.

"Are you sure you're going to be okay?" Hawkeye asked her a few days later.  
"Hawkeye I'm going to be just fine," she assured him.  
"I hate to leave you here all by yourself."  
"I won't be by myself. I'll have Charles and Trapper if I need them, and don't forget my parents are in town."  
"It will only be for a few hours. I can be back by tonight."  
"No darling. You're going to sleep in a decent bed, and try to return to your normal life for more than five minutes."  
"That's the problem. My life isn't going to be normal until my wife is sharing that decent bed with me."  
"It won't be long, I promise."  
Once he had left she sank back onto her pillows with a feeling of relief. Hawkeye had been worse than any mother hen, constantly asking her how she was feeling, or if she needed anything. She was touched by her fiance's thoughfulness and love, but it was nice to finally get a break.

"Are you up for a visitor?"  
"Certainly come on in Charles. Wow they're beautiful. From Hawkeye?" she asked referring to the large bouquet of flowers he held.  
He cleared his throat. "Actually, Margaret, they're from me."  
"How sweet. Thank you so much."  
"Ah Margaret, there is something I need to speak with you about."  
"Oh yes. My first appointment with your associate is later this afternoon."  
"Ah no Margaret. It's nothing medical. Margaret, I have feelings for you."  
"What kind of feelings?"  
"The kind one might possess for a lover."  
"Charles?"  
"I wanted to find you since we left Korea. I know you're attracted to Pierce, but you cannot ignore what we shared, and we still have much in common."  
"You're right. I can't," she said.


	5. The Decision

Her head was starting to spin. "While I can't forget, your timing is horrible."  
"Margaret, Frank shooting you was a horrible mistake, however I'm not convinced it was a mere accident that you were brought here. We were meant to find each other again Margaret."  
"Charles, I hear what you're saying. However I need some time to think. While I do have feelings for you, I can't ignore what Hawkeye, and I share. I'm engaged to be his wife."  
"Will he make you happier?"  
"I don't know. I don't know anymore. I need some time to think."  
"Very well." 

She shoved her fist into the bed in frustration, as she threw herself back onto the pillows. Why was every man she had ever had anything to do with coming back now? When she was happily engaged? She almost fully expected Donald Pennobscott to walk through the door at any moment to further complicate her life. She imagined what life would be like as Mrs. Charles Winchester. She knew she would have children some day, but had never given any real thought as to how many. That would play a big factor with Charles. He would probably want one, two at the very most. Their calendar would revolve around seasons at the Cape. Would Charles require her to give up nursing? From what she knew of the Winchesters, none of the women worked. However her life would be filled with every luxury and comfort she desired. There was so much they had in common as well. With fondness she recalled the fine foods and wine he would bring to her tent. The book he had given her held a sacred place of honor on her shelf.

Then she wondered what it would be like being Mrs. Benjamin Pierce. There would be lots of children. Even after all that had happened toward the end of the war, he still wanted a large family. The demands of a large family would also require her to give up nursing. While there might not be a ton of money and luxury, there would be peace and harmony. When she was getting too serious; Hawkeye always knew just what to do or say to get her to lighten up, and when Hawkeye was getting to moody, she always knew what to do to bring him out of his slump.

She went through the rest of the day almost zombie like, not really paying attention to anything except what was racing through her head. She loved Hawkeye, yet she loved Charles. She was relieved that Hawkeye didn't come back that night. He had called her when an emergency came up at his clinic that would keep him at least overnight. She would need at least that and then some to come up with a decision.

There was a knock.  
"Come in," she called hoping against hope that it wouldn't be Hawkeye,  
"Hello Margaret."  
Or Charles.  
"Hello Charles."  
"How was your appointment?"  
"I'm holding out hope. Dr. ODonnell is really something isn't he?"  
"He's one of the best in his field. You know Margaret if I am your choice, I will see to it that you have the best of everything."  
"I know, but you also know I can't be bought," she gently reminded him.  
"I know," he said clearing his throat in embarrassment, "I brought you some champagne, not to seduce you mind you, but to celebrate your certain recovery."  
"That was sweet of you."  
He poured each of them a glass. "To the woman I love," he said, as the door swung open behind him. She had taken a sip when she saw her aggravated fiancé.  
"Winchester, you brought champagne, and I wasn't invited."  
"We're celebrating Margaret's recovery."  
"I heard you say to the woman I love. What the heck is going on between you two,"  
"Um..." Margaret said, trying despretely to come up with something good.  
"Margaret, what is going on?" Hawkeye demanded.  
There was a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach as she saw the look on his face.  
"Your fiancé has feelings for me." Winchester informed him.  
He turned as white as a sheet. Margaret was afraid for a moment he was going to faint. "NO, that can't be. Margaret tell me he's lying." She tried to get the words out but they wouldn't come. "I don't believe this," Hawkeye said as he exited the room. "Hawkeye come back," she yelled.  
"Margaret, I'm going to go grab Pierce."  
"Are you kidding? He'll kill you."  
"SHH, I'm going to grab him and inform him that neither of us are to disturb you until this time tomorrow at which point you'll have come to some decision, whether you'd like to be the future Mrs. Winchester or the future Mrs. Pierce."

"You look like you've been dragged by a semi truck," Liz commented the next morning as Margaret struggled to wake up. "Thanks a lot," she replied sarcastically.  
"What happened?"  
"I don't know," she said, and it was the truth. Through her half shut eyes she looked at the clock that sat by her bedside. Ten hours until she had to tell one or the other that she didn't love them enough. How in the world do you tell someone that? She pondered in her half conscious state.  
"Margaret, I saw Charles this morning doing his rounds. There are some unresolved feelings aren't there?"  
"He asked me to be his wife."  
"Oh, Margie, really?"  
She nodded. "I have until tonight to give them my decision."  
"Hawkeye knows?"  
"He walked in on us."  
"Us? What were you doing?"  
"Having champagne. Charles said "to the woman I love," just as Hawkeye walked in."  
"Oh no. Margie, what are you going to do?"  
She shrugged. "I don't know."  
"What's your heart telling you?"  
"It's pleading the fifth. What would you do if you were I?"  
"Margie, if either were to walk out of your life, which one would you be more devastated over? Which one would you kick yourself forever for losing?"

The day dragged yet time seemed to fly once it hit the hour mark. One more hour turned into 45 into 30 into 15 within seconds. She flipped through a paperback trying to calm her stomach which at that moment was threating to reject the hospital food she had forced down earlier. She turned on the radio. "Come to Charlies car lot." She turned the channel. "Thank you for tuning in. I'm your host Benjamin with all the classic hits you love." She settled back. She could ignore the host's name. The music started up. "Tell your Aunt Louise, tell anything you please. And you can tell your dog about my weight." She snapped it off. "Achy Breaky Heart" was not going to help her through the coming standoff. As if on cue, they both sauntered in.  
"Hawkeye, I'd like to talk to Charles first. Alone if that's okay?"  
"Since when have my feeling mattered," he muttered as he left the room.  
"So I see you've reached your decision," Charles said. She nodded.  
"Charles, I care a great deal for you. You're everything a woman could ever want. You're like a fantasy prince. Yet Hawkeye is my reality, and my future."  
Charles cleared his throat. "Very well. Margaret, I just want you to know that first of all this will not affect your treatment as my patient, and second, I will always be honored to be counted among your friends." He leaned down to hug her.

The moment he left, Hawkeye swept in. Ready for battle because he had been hurt. It tore at her heart to see how much she had put him through.  
"Hawkeye, I know you've been through a lot because of me, and I first want to say I'm sorry."  
"Get on with it. I know I drove back here just to be dumped."  
"That's not true."  
"Oh, so you're letting me down easy? Why didn't you have the decency to tell me you liked him more before we got engaged. You know that would have been nice to know."  
"Benjamin Franklin Pierce will you shut up and let me talk," she snapped. He was immediately silenced by the use of his full name. She always used that when she had had it.  
"I'm sorry I've put you through what I have, and I hope you'll still allow me the honor of spending the rest of my life making it up to you." He hugged her before she could see the tears that had welled up in his eyes.


	6. Between Maine and Mass

He took a moment to calm himself and sat on the bed. "We're not going to be getting married in March are we?"  
"Hawkeye, we're only going to do this once, and when we do, I want to walk down the aisle, not roll down it in a chair."  
Hawkeye didn't want to destroy Margaret's hope. Yet he had seen too much as a doctor to hope for the best."We'll get married whenever you're ready," he assured her.

Outside, Dr. Winchester stared at the door, trying to shake the sting of rejection. Trying to cope with the rollercoaster of emotion he'd been so violently thrown off of. Perhaps a walk by the symphony hall would soothe his pain. He was in time to see the crowd that spilled out of the hall. He, too, would have been among them, had he not made the other obligation with Margaret. Absentmindedly he scanned the crowd looking for familiar faces, hoping he didn't run into anyone. He wasn't in the mood to engage in conversation. He walked a jagged pattern pushing through the throng trying to take the other path that led him away.  
"I know you from somewhere," a female voice said, as a woman caught up with him.  
He looked andsaw a woman thatlooked vaguely familiar. "Ellie Carlilse is it?"  
She looked lovely, and elegant in her black evening gown. "You remembered?" she remarked. "I don't think I could ever forget you Winchester. You're about the only one I've ever met who's so pompus about his music."  
"I just have incredibly good taste. So do satisfy my curiousity? What brings you to this part of town?"  
"Actually, I'm living here while I'm temporarily with the Boston Philharmonic."  
"So are you here by yourself?"  
"No, my sister and her fiancé came down to visit me, but they wanted to be alone."  
Suddenly his wish to be alone disapated into the chilly Boston night. "Then perhaps it wouldn't be objectionable if I asked you out for dinner or dessert perhaps?"  
"Actually I didn't get a chance to eat before we left."  
"Let's walk back to the hospital, get my car, and I can show you one of Boston's finest late night establishments."

The next morning, Margaret returned to therapy with Dr. O'Donnell. "Am I ever going to walk again Dr?" she asked, after they had completed their session.  
"Margaret, you are aware my therapy is purely experimental. However what I am thinking is there is really no point keeping you here. I'll give you exercises to do at home, and if possible you can come back once a week for treatment."  
"Thank you Doctor," she said.  
"Margaret, I'm not telling you you'll never walk again."  
"I know."

She went home two days later to find her rented Victoria adorned with balloons and festive "Welcome Home" signs everywhere. Everyone was standing on the porch to welcome her home. Her parents were there and Liz with her family. Daniel was there as well, as was Hawkeye's Aunt Mimi." "All we need is the 4077th here, and we'd have quite the reunion," Margaret joked.

As if on cue, Trapper and his family appeared. Margaret had never liked Trapper in the 4077th days, but her opinion had changed when she learned his role in saving her life. "I know it's not the whole reunion, but at least we have one member here," Hawkeye quipped as he helped her into her wheelchair. A ramp had been built to allow her easier access. "I feel like a queen," she told Hawkeye, laughing as he wheeled her up.

There was more laughing that night as everyone had a chance to visit and welcome Margaret home. Hawkeye and Trapper stayed together like glue, but Margaret found no shortage of helpers. Even Emily wanted a chance to push her aunt around, but had more fun riding around with her when Hawkeye was racing her up and down the long hallway at a breakneck speed. Margaret found that her bedroom which had formerly been on the second floor had been brought down to the guest bedroom on the first floor, and several other slight changes had been made to accommodate her wheelchair. Margaret still insisted these changes were only temporary. She didn't want to get anyone's hopes up, but on the way back to Crabapple, she had been able to feel her foot and move it slightly.

She wasn't able to do nurses work anymore, but Hawkeye and Daniel's frequently growing practice needed another secretary. She spent her days in the office, her nights with Hawkeye, exercising, after he had left. Then once a week, Hawkeye would drive down with her to Boston, and visit Trapper while she had her appointment.

She waited at the elevator after her first appointment in April. Hawkeye was running a little late, but that was okay as long as there was sunshine to enjoy. That was one thing she hoped she would always keep with her after she had healed. The simple pleasures of life were so important.

"Margaret, dear. How lovely to see you," a familiar voice boomed.  
"Oh hello Charles."  
"How are the appointments with O'Donnell coming along?"  
"Very wonderfully thank you. That doctor is a miracle worker."  
"Quite a fine reputation. Where is Pierce?"  
"He's running a little late so I'm going to wait for him outside."  
"May I assist you?" he asked gesturing toward the wheelchair.  
"If you'd like."  
"Of course," he said as he wheeled her into the elevator. "Margaret, I'm grateful that things turned out the way they did." "Really?"  
"Yes, and I'd like you to meet the reason why who also happens to be waiting for me outside."

Margaret remembered Ellie right away.

"Charles told me about your accident. I'm so sorry to hear about it," Elli remarked.  
"Actually I'm getting better. I should be back on my feet in no time," Margaret assured her.  
"That's good to hear."  
Hawkeye drove up. "I'm sorry I'm late, darling," he said," he said as he got out of the car. "Winchester?"  
"Hawkeye, I'm sure you remember Ellie?"  
"Who could forget?" Hawkeye joked."I certainly haven't been able to forget you. Marina talked about you for weeks and weeks after we left."  
"She was a good kid," Hawkeye commented.  
"Actually Ellie and I were wondering if you and Margaret would like to join us for lunch. There's a fine luncheonette that's only a block away."  
"Sure we'd love to," Hawkeye said. There was an ease between the former Swampmates again.

They spent an hour chatting about varied subjects and eating lunch. Then the future Mr and Mrs. Piercehad to get back to Crabapple. The ride was quiet at first. Margaret was in thought. Something had happened in therepy. "Hawkeye, what would you say we set a date?"  
He looked startled. Are you walking again?"  
She shrugged. "I'm just tired of waiting. I want to be your wife."  
"You know the invitations we got do say May 17th."  
"Do you want that to be our date?"  
She took her checkbook out of her purse to look at the calendar. That would be a Saturday."  
"Great. The whole gang will make it in, and we could have like a 4 day weekend with a big MASH reunion the night before," he said, his eyes lighting up.  
'Here comes the lobster,' Margaret thought.  
"I can finally introduce everyone to real Maine lobster," he said. Margaret started to laugh, stopping Hawkeye mid-planning. "What? What's so funny?"  
"I love you, that's all," she said.

Margaret canceled her appointments with the doctor. "We're just too busy right now. I'll go back after the wedding," she insisted. Hawkeye was concerned as he knew how important those treatments were to Margaret. However he kept his mouth shut. He could nag her about those again after he became her husband. Though Margaret was in a wheelchair, he still found she could be just as in command. She threw herself into the wedding details. True to her promise they were going to have the biggest wedding Crabapple Cove had ever seen

The invitations went out. Neither of them could wait for the barrage of calls that were going to flood in from their former comerades. Nor were they disappointed. Radar was the first to call. "Is it really true?" Radar asked when Hawkeye picked up the phone. "Oh you mean about the wedding thing?" :Yeah, I just can't picture you two sirs together, oh geez, I'm sorry, I mean Margaret." "Don't worry Radar. She's softened up since she left the army." "I promise I don't bite anymore," she called over, as she got Daniel's opinion on boutineres. "How did you guys end up together?" "That's a long story. Listen Radar. I'm glad you called because we were thinking of having a little Mash reunion the night before the wedding. You'll be able to make it right?" "Oh I wouldn't miss it for the world," he assured him. "Besides, I want all you guys to meet the future Mrs' O'Reily." "Oh our little Radars all grown up." "Ah cut it out Hawk."

They crossed their fingers when they sent out Klingers invitation as they had no idea if Klinger had even returned from Korea yet. They found an M. Klinger in Toledo directory, and hoped for the best. They also sent one to Charles. Margaret was glad their last parting had been on good terms. Even if he didn't make it for the wedding, the MASH reunion wouldn't be complete without him.

Colonel Potter was the next to call. "You are going to have quite the story to tell, Pierce, about how you and Houlihan are pulling off becoming husband and wife. I never would have thought it at first, but I'm mighty glad you two kids finally found each other." Hawkeye mentioned the reunion to Colonel Potter as well.

"Well that's a swell idea. That just reminds me of the visit Mildred and I made to the Padre last week. We were in Philidelphia and decided to look him up. He's working with deaf children at a special school."  
"Colonel, is there any way you can give me Father Mulcahy's information? That's the one person we're missing." "Certainly."  
After a few minutes of him yelling for Mildred and a few more to find the information, Hawkeye had it written down, and tucked in his pocket. This was going to surprise Margaret.

"Well we know that the invitations made it to the Midwest," Margaret commented, as she and Hawkeye examined the various ideas for cakes she had been pulling out of bridal magazines.  
"Shoot, that reminds me. I have to call Beej. He's going to be hurt if I don't tell him first."  
As if on cue the phone rang.  
"Well at least Hawkeye Pierce hasn't forgotten how to pick up a phone, though dialing may be another matter."  
"Did you get the invitation?"  
"Yes, Peg and I should be able to make it. She won't be due until at least early June, and the doctor said it's okay for her to travel."  
"That's good because we're going to have a Mash reunion the night before," Hawkeye told him. "That will be great. I can't wait to introduce Peg to my fellow Swamp rats."


	7. The Maine Arrivals

"Gate 512 from San Francisco now arriving," came the announcement over the loudspeaker. Margaret smiled excitedly as she waited in her wheelchair. Hawkeye had been a little nervous about leaving her there, but she assured him it was fine. Kelleye was the first of the plane, and was a bit taken aback seeing her former army commander confined to a chair. She had heard about the major's injury in correspondence with some of the other nurses. The nurses's letters had thrown back and forth all over the country planning a suprise shower for the Major that night, while the gentleman were throwing a bachelor party for Hawkeye.  
"Margaret, I'm so happy to see you," Kelleye greeted her with a hug.  
"It's great to see you too. How was your flight?"  
"It was fun. I met the most hilarious woman on the plane. I also saw -"  
She was cut off by the yelling of a woman with flamboyant red hair.  
"Margaret, darling, I'm so thrilled to finally be off that plane. I could never bear to be cooped up for so long."  
"Hello Aunt Mimi," she greeted the older woman.  
"B.J, over here," Kelleye yelled.  
B.J, and a very pregnant Peg headed toward their direction. B.J was holding little Erin, who bashfully buried her face into her father's shoulder.  
"Kelleye, it's great to see you, and Margaret, you look wonderful," B.J greeted her. "Where's Hawkeye?" he asked.

Hawkeye stood at Gate 508 where the flight from Boston was just arriving. He was anxious for the flight to get there. The passengers poured out. "Pierce," he heard a voice boom. "Charles, Ellie, I'm so glad you guys are here."  
"We couldn't miss this for the world," Ellie told Hawkeye.  
"Indeed we couldn't. We can take notes for the near future," Charles said as he held Ellie's hand.  
"Charles, is that what I think it is?" Hawkeye demanded as he grabbed Ellie's hand. A ostentatiously big diamond glowed from the silver setting.  
"Ellie has consented to be my wife," Charles confirmed.  
"How was your flight?" Hawkeye asked.  
"Perfectly awful. We were seated next to a drunken maniac," he growled.  
"Yo, Hawk," a man with curly blonde hair yelled across the waiting room. He bounded over like a puppy to embrace his old friend.  
"Charles, this is –"  
From the look on Charles's face, Hawkeye suddenly knew who the drunken maniac was, and almost fell to the floor laughing.

Margaret took out her planner to checkmark who had already arrived. There were quite a few more flights coming in that day bearing former 4077th members, and family. They had spent half the day yesterday figuring out who was picking up who and when. Luckily most of their guests had coordinated flights whether it was on accident, or on purpose, as Col. Potter, and Radar had done. Speaking of which their flight was next to come in. They had rented four big vans to transport everybody in, and stow all their luggage. Daniel was driving one, Hawkeye was in charge of the second one, Hawkeye's friend Toby, had agreed to help out with the third, and the forth was being driven by none other than Sidney Freedman. Sidney had come in the night before, with his fiancé, Cat, a stunning raven haired beauty with ivory skin, and vibrant green eyes.

Sidney was waiting at gate 520 when the flight from St. Louis, MO arrived. He first spotted an elderly woman embarking from the plane, obviously waiting for someone else to come off. A few more people disembarked and the next passengers were a white faced Radar O'Riley, being helped by a blonde haired young woman, and Colonel. Potter.  
"Radar, what happened?"  
"On the plane," Radar gasped.  
"Sidney, what luck you're here. I hope your couch is portable," Sherman said grimly.  
"I didn't see it. I'm supposed 'ta know stuff like that, but I never saw it coming."  
Sidney looked behind the trio, and saw a tall man. It was obvious he had been through a lot, but there was no mistaking the man's true identity."Oh my gosh," Sidney exclaimed.

Daniel made his way down to the baggage claim with a small Korean woman, and a big nosed Lebanese man. "Look who I found off the Ohio plane," Daniel called over the din the gathered 4077th members were making.  
"Hey guys," Klinger greeted them.  
"Oh ho, son you do beat all," Colonel Potter exclaimed, happy to see his entire MASH family together again. It had been questionable up until a few days before whether or not they would be there .  
"Soon Lee's family is settled in Toledo, and we're home in the good ol' USA for keeps," Max exclaimed excitedly, relieved once again to be back on American soil. They had only been back for a month..

Hawkeye was about to corral everybody into the vans when he felt a tap on his shoulder. "Hawkeye, come with me," Sidney whispered. Hawkeye could tell by the look on his face there was trouble. The first sight that met his eyes was one that he had never expected to see again.

"Henry," he shouted. A sob choked his throat.  
"You know this man too," Sidney explained to the bewildered Henry Blake. Hawkeye looked at Sidney in confusion.  
"He lost his memory," Sidney explained.  
"You were a surgeon, at the 4077th Mash," Hawkeye said urgently, gasping at the shock he had just received.  
"A surgeon?"  
"Perhaps introducing him to the group downstairs will help," Sidney suggested.

On the way down, Hawkeye learned that Henry had woken up in GI hospital in Tokyo. That was his last memory. He had no dog tags, so the army helped him set up a new life. He now lived in Portland and was a traveling salesman. He had just come from St. Louis where he had had a series of business meetings.

Radar was slowly emerging from the shock with Mrs. O'Riley and his fiancé Patti on either side. Sherman and Mildred Potter brought up the rear.  
"Colonel Potter," Margaret exclaimed waving excitedly, and wheeling herself toward him.  
"Margaret, my dear. I'm so happy for you and Pierce," he said as he leaned over to hug her. "It's just plain old Sherman now. I dumped the army trappings too," he said. "This is the Mrs."  
"Margaret my dear, it's such a pleasure to finally meet you," Mrs. Potter said warmly.  
"The pleasure is mine, Mrs. Potter. Col – I mean,l Sherman talked about you often in Korea."  
"Do call me Millie, everyone else does, everyone but Sherm that is," she said, playfully nudging her husband.  
"Margaret?" she heard her fiancé behind her  
"Yes darling?"  
"There's someone over here you need to meet."  
Sherman helped her turn her chair around so she was facing someone that was too familiar.  
"Hawkeye – what?"  
"Margaret, you remember Henry Blake?"  
"Are you his brother?"  
"According to these guys I'm him. I mean, I'm Henry."  
Her eyes were wide with shock as she clapped her hand over her mouth. "We thought you had died," she choked out.  
"You had us all fooled Henry," Trapper John said soberly.


	8. Meetings

_Thanks to everyone who's reading. I have a zillion stories I'm juggling right now and trying to get them updated as fast as possible! So here's the newest chapter, and I guarnatee the next one won't be as far behind. Thanks again._

Hawkeye looked to the corner of his room where a forgotten trunk stood. He hadn't looked at this since he had returned. It held all of his war memerobilial. He wiped the dust off the lid, that creaked as it revealed the contents inside. At the top lay his most treasured document, his discharge papers. He set that to the side and carefully lifted out his Hawaian shirt, wrapping all the photos he'd collected of his friends. He opened it and pulled out the one of them under the Fort Dix sign. That would be perfect to blow up for the reunion. He set that to his other side. He added to it an envelope addressed to Erin Hunicutt. He had to make sure B.J had it so he could give it to her when the time was right. At the very bottom was an old little blackbook with a slip of yellowing paper tucked into it. "Here's looking up your old address," Henry would always say. Well, he'd remembered that address and written it out for all his friends before leaving the 4077th. Hawkeye couldn't throw it away. It was the last piece of his friend he had left. He'd never dreamed he would be going downstairs to the kitchen phone as he was now, and dialing the number. Then he asked for Lorraine Blake.  
"This is she."  
"Hi Lorraine, my name is Hawkeye. I served with your husband in Korea."  
"Ah, Hawkeye, I must admit this is a suprise."  
"Yes, Mrs. Blake, I live in a small town. Crabapple Cove, in Maine. I was wondering if you could come, and bring your children. I have something important I need to discuss with you regarding your husband."  
"What is it, Hawkeye?"  
"Trust me, Mrs. Blake. Please. With all due respect this is something that we have to discuss in person. As soon as possible."  
There was a long pause on the other end.  
"Are you still there Mrs. Blake?"  
She let out a shaky breath. "I'm sorry. It's just hard for me having Henry gone. We never even found his body you know."  
"I know. Mrs. Blake, I need you to trust me. Please come out here with the children. I'll have someone meet you at Portland airport."  
"I'll call you when I've made the arrangements," she said, and immediately hung up the phone.  
"Any luck?" Sidney asked, standing in the doorway.  
"No. Any luck with your patient?"  
"Not yet. I think his memory is still there, but sometimes there are so many layers before you can get to it. It's no wonder the army couldn't cure him. They have such a heavy case load that they couldn't spend all the time with him that he needs."  
"One of the casualties of war," Hawkeye mused.  
"I'm going to work with him as much as I can while we're here, then I'll help him arrange more treatment either here or in Illinois."  
"You gentleman ready to go?" Daniel asked coming in the kitchen.  
"Just about Dad."

None of the 4077th members wanted to wait until the official reunion tomorrow to see each other again, so they were meeting at the Silver Shell, which not only had the best lobster in town (although Hawkeye said that about every place within 50 miles of Crabapple), it was nestled on the front of the street, hiding the fact that two hotels shared the parking lot. Mulligan's Bed and Breakfast, and the Silver Sands were doing a booming business that weekend  
"You should come with us Dad," Hawkeye encouraged his father, They had had the exchange many times the past week, but every time Daniel declined.  
"I'll have a chance to meet all of them at the wedding, and at the reunion," Daniel said. The reunion was being held in the Pierces backyard.  
This time was no exception. "Hawkeye your Aunt Mimi, and I will be fine," he assured him, flashing a conspiritorial wink at Sidney. The psychiatrist gave a breif nod. Everything was going according to plan.  
The phone rang.  
"Hello?" Hawkeye answered it. He sighed in relief. It was Mrs. Blake with her travel plans. Even though his father and aunt said they'd be here to answer it, he couldnt' be sure she was still coming. Their flight would be coming in the afternoon.

Klinger and Soon-Li were already seated when Hawkeye, and Henry arrived. Sidney had walked over to the Silver Sands to pick up his bride to be. She had insisted they stay in seperate locales to avoid "temptation." Max jumped up with a big hug for Hawkeye, and a hearty handshake for Henry.  
"Klinger, what have you been up to since we left?" Hawkeye asked.  
"Well we went all over Korea trying to find Soon-Li's family. By the time we caught up to them in Ing-Chon, we almost had to leave becuase Soon-Li is pregnant, and all."  
"You found them in Ing-Chon?"  
"They were retracing their steps trying to track down Soon-Li from Ouijonbou."  
"It is a relief to finally be with them, here in the states," she said.  
"Now I own a women's dress shop, right on Main St," he continued.  
"He knows more about fashion then the women," Soon-Li laughed.  
"Listen to that mother, he's still wearing dresses," they heard someone laugh from the doorway.  
"Colonel Potter," Klinger greeted him, with another hug.  
"Oh ho, son it sure is good to see you back in the good ol' US of A," Colonel Potter said, "And Hawkeye," he said giving him another hug. They had all seen each other at the airport that afternoon, but somehow it wasn't the same. Margaret arrived as this was going on. She had wanted her sister to drop her off so she had some time with her family first. She had met Radar and Patti at the enterance and they wheeled her in.  
Everyone turned to greet them.  
"Where's your mother?" Hawkeye asked Radar.  
He shrugged. "She thought she'd be in the way. I told her she wouldn't be though, but she still said no."  
"My dad said the same thing. Our parents are acting fishy," he said as he greeted Margaret.  
"My parents said no too. My mom said they would spend time with Liz," Margaret said.  
Before they could dwell on parental refusals any longer, Trapper arrived with his family, snatching his former Swampmate into a headlock. Trapper had been behaving like an uncontrollable puppy in his wife's opinion. She was just chalking it up to him seeing so many of his old friends again. It bothered her in a way, but she didn't let it show as she watched her daughters talking with Mrs. Potter.

B.J and Peg arrived just in time to see the two old friends horsing around. B. J. felt somewhat jealous. Trapper John was a legend, the man who could drink him under the table, and come up with ideas equal to Hawkeye's. Plus he had been there. Oh, B.J. had been there for him during the accident. By phone. But his version of being there hadn't been half as dramatic as Trappers actually saving her life. He knew that his jealously was silly, but Trapper would always have a bond with Hawkeye that B.J. wouldn't.  
He swallowed and stepped up. "You must be the infamous Trapper John," B.J remarked, offering his hand for Trapper to shake.  
"You must be the infamous B.J," Trapper said.


	9. Memories Gained

Charles arrived with Ellie as the two men were meeting. "Egads, that drunken boor is here," he muttered to Ellie.

"Be nice. These men are your friends."

"Were, not anymore," he protested though gritted teeth.

"Charles, how splendid to see you," Colonel Potter greeted him.

"Hello, Colonel."

"Plain old Sherman now," Sherman corrected him.

"Ah, yes - Sherman. I assume this angel is Mildred," he said to the elderly woman that stood next to him.

"Sherman, you never warned me Charles was such a charmer," she said.

"That's becuase I didn't know," Colonel Potter replied.

Across the room, B.J was still facing his nemesis in a one up of pranking.

"I wish I could have been there to see the look on ole' Ferret Face," Trapper commented as B.J cordially told him about the time he filled Fran's foxhole with water.

"Where is Frank anyways?" Klinger asked, having overheard their conversation. The entire room fell silent. "What? Did he die?"

"He almost killed Margaret," Hawkye filled him in.

"I'm sorry guys. I didn't know."

"I know Klinger. It's okay. Margaret and I will be married now and that's what counts," he jubilantly declared.

"Go ahead, talk to him," Patti nudged Radar. Henry looked lost as he sat at the long banquet table. All around him were the conversations of men he couldn't remember that claimed to be part of a life he hadn't known about.

"He won't remember me, and that bugs me," Radar said.

"Radar, maybe talking to you will help him," Patti encouraged him

Radar approached Henry and saluted

"Radar?"

"Excuse me sir?" Earlier Sidney had introduced Radar as Walter.

"We called you Radar, didn't we?" Henry asked.

The room fell silent once again.

"I remembered that. I just don't know how," Henry said slowly.

"You were like a father to me sir."

"A father?"

"My real dad died when I was just a baby."

"All I remember is they called you Radar," Henry said.

"That's a good sign," Sidney told his patient. He was glad he and Cat had arrived in time to witness the exchange. He was sure that Henry was finally making a breakthrough. He found it particularly significant that Radar's salute had triggered it.

The waiters brushed past him and started to set menus at everyone's place. The nurses had gathered at one end with Hawkeye next to Margaret. The Hunnicutts sat next to him, with Erin seated in a high chair between B.J, and Peg while Trapper John sat across from Hawkeye with his family. At the other end Klinger was loudly joking about everybody to everybody else, and Sidney was talking more quietly to Henry, eager to help him build on his newest breakthrough.

Margaret, and Hawkeye had planned on taking their guests to the beach once dinner was over, to see it at night, but their guests seemed to have other ideas. "We're kidnapping both of you," B.J told Hawkeye as he blindfolded him.

Margeret was lost in the giggling crowd of nurses who were doing the same thing to her.

Peg and Louise had slipped out to drop Erin, Becky, and Kathy at the McIntyre's suite. Daniel had arranged for two teenage girls who helped out at the clinic occasionally to baby sit while the adults continued to party. The kids were going to be in the McIntyre's room because they had gotten a suite, and the girls had brought some of their toys. "Now you be careful with Erin," Louise told Kathy. Kathy was at that stage where anyone smaller then she was a baby doll she could play with.

Margaret could feel herself being helped into a car with the plushest seats she had ever felt in her life. "We got you a limo," Able told her.

"This feels wonderful," Margaret assured them. "Where are you taking me?"

"You'll see," Baker assured her, as Peg, Louise, Soon Li, Mildred, Patti, Ellie and Cat all piled in

After about ten minutes she heard the limo stop. Someone helped her into a chair and rolled her up a smooth ramp while she heard the crunch of gravel nearby. Someone untied the blindfold and around here was the elegant Victorian era lobby of the Old Tyme Tea House.

"Why are we here?" she asked.

They wheeled her to the back to a room that was reserved for a private party.

"Are you sure we should go in there?" she asked as they opened the door.

"Surprise," she heard everyone yell. There were her mother, and sister. Hawkeye's Aunt Mimi was there, and so was Radar's mom.

"It's a surprise bridal shower," Kelleye told her.

"I'm certainly surprised. Thank you so much," she said.

Louise acted like she was happy, but inside she was envious of Margaret. Not because of the frills and fanfare. Louise had had that too as a young bride. It was just that Margaret seemed so happy. It had been a long time since she had felt that way about her and John.


	10. A Night To Remember

Across town, John was with the rest of the guys at Smokey's Bar & Grill.

"The driest martinis in town," Trapper ordered the moment they walked through the door.

Hawkeye was still blindfolded. "What did you guys put on my ankle?" he demanded.

"You'll see," B.J taunted him.

Klinger undid Hawkeye's blindfold, and Hawkeye lifted his leg. Shackled around his ankle was a plastic ball and chain.

"You rats. This is perfect," he said laughing as he sat on a stool and tried to take it off.

"Your table is waiting sir," Klinger said.

Hawkeye looked to where he was pointing to see a massive poker table set up to the side of the pool tables.

"Aw no, no,no, I'm not so sure I wanna play poker with you guys. You guys know all my dirty tricks," Hawkeye said to everyone in general, but sat down at the head anyway.

As they took spots at the table, B.J noticed Trapper shooting a funny look his way. B.J assumed it was becuase of the dirty looks he was trying not to give Trapper.

Daniel brought rounds of beer to the table. They played poker and drank. Between Trapper and BJ, each was playing a game of one up. Who had the bigger bet? Who could do the best bluff?

"A hundred dollars," B.J wagered when it was just him and Trapper at the last round.

"B.J, we set the limit at five," Hawkeye reminded him.

"I'm sure the fantastic Trapper can play like a man," B.J slurred.

"You bet I can, and I ain't scared of you. You know why? My wife'll kill me if I go that high. She's scarier than you are ol' pal," Trapper said as he threw his cards down.

"Trapper, let's play pool," B.J challenged him. The amount of alchol he had consumed clouded his judgement.

"Good idea," Trapper smirked. "I could beat you with one hand tied behind my back."

"Prove it clown," B.J taunted as he grabbed a pole, and stumbled to the poker table, proceeding to try shooting one of the chips.

"B.J, the tables the other way," Toby slurred, just as drunk as the rest of them, laughing hysterically.

"I'm just warming up," B.J excused the error.

Klinger looked at him in concern through his beer goggles. B.J's behavior was reminding him of another night when he was trying to drink away the fact that his little girl called another man "Daddy."

"Beej, maybe we should cool it for the night," Klinger suggested.

"Fat chance," B.J snarled, waving his pool stick around at dangerous angles.

Trapper was feinging steadiness on the other side, trying to prove a worthy competitor to the all too goody two shoes B.J. It was B.J.'s fault they weren't partying with dancers that night, like Trapper had tried to arrange. He ruined Hawkeye, and Trapper hated him for it. He had been counting on this night to take his thoughts off Louise. Instead, he was trying to beat what he understood to be the paragon of family life. They had tried to patch it back together when he came home. He had changed more then he realized in Korea, and Louise had changed too. No matter what it seemed like neither could do right by the other. For Trapper, it wasn't hatred as much as it was jealousy. Trapper stumbled toward the pool table determined to let him have it.

Trapper took the first shot. "What's more wasted - you or that shot?" BJ taunted.  
"You're the one who'll be wasted," Trapper retorted as BJ drunkenly aimed for a ball. He swung his stick inadvertantly hitting Trapper.  
"Watch where you're sticking that thing," Trapper yelled and hit him back. The other men jumped in to stop the frey. "Will you two stop trying to kill each other?" Hawkeye yelled. Then stormed out.

"You don't smoke," Daniel scolded him as he found his son outside.  
"I bummed it off another guy that was out here."  
"You know they haven't proven it yet, but I really don't think those things are very healthy," Daniel said.  
"Yeah, well, I don't really care right now."  
"The limo's on it's way to pick us up."  
"Good. Don't wake me up until after this wedding is over."  
"Don't you want to marry Margaret?"  
"Of course I do, but the war between my two best men is the last thing I need. I thought they would get along so much better. I mean I've already got to deal with the whole grounded for life deal. What if I slip off my crackers again? What if she slips off hers? What if we find out we never really liked each other to begin with and make a huge mistake. Dad, I don't know what I"m doing?"  
"Slow down son. First of all, no one knows what they're doing when they get married. Marriage is really something you play by ear. If someone wrote a book on how to be the perfect spouse it would sell millions, but theres no such thing. So you live, and you love and care for each other the best you can, and if you or she need it, you have a pretty good friend just a phone call away. That Sidney is pretty good."  
"Thanks dad."  
"You're welcome son."

Meanwhile inside, an old army colonel felt it was time to pull his former clerk away from the hard stuff. He looked a little unsteady as he gulped down what the colonel guessed was a fourth drink.  
"Easy Klinger. I think you've had a few too many," he said, once the others had calmed B.J. and Trapper down.  
"I just needed to calm my nerves," he said.  
"Trapper and BJs fight wasn't that bad," he said.  
"I just can't take anymore. First Soon Li's pregnant, then I open my business and am trying to get that off the ground, now I come out here and these two are trying to tear each other apart."  
"Oh, I think sleep will help you better then drinks," the old colonel said as he tried to help him off the bar stool.  
"I don't know how to be a father," he slurred.  
"Oh son, you learn that as you go along," the colonel said as he helped him out into the open air.  
"I don't know what I'm doing."  
"Son there's no instruction manual on how to be the perfect dad. You just do the best you can."

"Do all of you have the same script writer?" Hawkeye quipped, as the Colonel and Klinger came closer.  
"Just lots of experience," Daniel and Sherman said at the same time.

In the meantime, across town, the future Mrs. Pierce was having her own kind of worries.She had been fine, until each woman had been asked to write down some marriage advice on a slip of paper. Every piece of advise seemed to conflict except one. "A wife knows her place." That peice of paper bristled her to the core. She had heard "a woman knows her place" all her life. She didn't get to be where she had gotten in the army by knowing her place, and she had ranked far higher then many nurses in the army and about as high as those that were twice her age. "Knowing her place" was something Margaret Jane Houlihan would never do. But what about Margaret Pierce?


	11. Morning Light

"'3:00 a.m., Friday morning, ' Margaret mused as she looked at her old alarm clock reletlessly ticking down the seconds, the minutes, the hours. In fourteen hours, there would be the Mash reunion. And on Saturday , she would become Mrs. Hawkeye Pierce. She wasn't ready in the least. She shifted into her chair and wheeled down the hall. Quitely she filled a tea kettle with hot water, and set it on the stove.

Her sister padded into the kitchen.

"What are you doing up?" Liz asked.

"I couldn't sleep. Some twit wrote me advice about a wife knowing her place. That really bugged me," Margaret confided. "I belong at a hospital. It's what I'm good at. Being married isn't going to change who I am. I'm independent, not helpless Harriet Homemaker. Hawkeye and I are a partnership, not a dictatorship. Heck, the only orders he knows how to give are for martinis."

Liz started to laugh. "Oh Maggie. I wrote that." she confessed.

"What?" Margaret exclaimed. Then remembering the house was asleep, she lowered her voice again. "What are you talking about?"

"Margaret, it's not about a woman knowing her place. It's about a wife knowing her place. Your place is not to shut up and watch your husband act stupid. It's not to be trampled on or to be dictated. Your place is always going to be by your husband whether it's for him, with him, by him, or behind him. That's what makes a marriage work. It's not losing your identity or trying to be someone you're not."

"Liz," Margaret said as she took the pot off the stove and got out a box of teabags. "I'm not sure I'm ready for this."

"Neither were James and I when we got married," Liz said as she took cups out of the cupboard. "There's no instruction manual for husbands, but I can tell you this - it will be worth it," she assured Margaret as she set the cups on the table, and squeezed her sister's hand.

"You look terrible," Sidney commented as he padded into the kitchen.

"The official diagnosis is not sleeping," Hawkeye yawned as he took another sip of his coffee. "You have to leave in an hour to pick up Mrs. Blake."

"Good morning," Henry greeted them as he passed into the kitchen.

Henry Blake walked into the kitchen and sat at the table.

"Please," he said as Hawkeye got up to get him a mug.

"Straight black," both men said at once.

"How did you know that?" Henry asked.

"Many mornings of hangovers," Hawkeye responded as he sat down the cup in front of him. "How did you remember that?"

Henry shrugged. "It's just like everything else that doesn't make sense to me."

Hawkeye wanted to tell Henry all about the awful coffee he had drank in the mess tent, and the rotten breakfasts they had had. He even wanted to go into detail about some of their drunken binges at Rosies and the Officers Club. Sidney inconspicuosly shook his head. "It's important not to overwhelm him with details. He's remembering some things so let's see how much more comes out on his own," he had counseled Hawkeye the night before.

Hawkeye wanted to go back to sleep but couldn't. Trapper, and BJ were along with Radar were due cover in an hour to help set up for the reunion. By the time he had showered and dressed, they were there. 'Please don't let them kill each other,' Hawkeye thought. He seriously considered banning alcohol at the party tonight. He also played with the idea of activating the still. He had kept all the parts. He didn't have the heart to throw it away after Radar had gone to so much trouble to requisition everything.

"Shoot," Trapper said as a nail he was using bent. "That was our last one."

"I'll go get more," Hawkeye said. "Luke's Hardware is just a block away. Do you want to come with me Henry?" Hawkeye asked.

"Uh, sure," Henry replied. They were quiet as they walked down the street and approached the store. Coming out was a man in a pinstriped suit.

"I used to have a suit like that," Henry said.

"Do you remember who gave it to you?" Hawkeye asked evenly.

Henry frantically searched his brain trying to remember when he had owned it, but came up with nothing. He just remembered comparing the stripes on the fabric to veins. Why had he done that?

They purchased the nails, and started back to the Pierces house. As they did, a plane flew overhead.

"Oh, a DC 6," Henry commented.

"That's right. How did you know that?" Hawkeye asked. Even though they were army, they had had to learn about different types of aircraft as part of their military training.

Henry shrugged. "I just knew it somehow," he said. Suddenly Henry dropped on the front lawn, breathing hard. Henry felt like he was going to throw up as all sorts of images swirled in his mind, like a quick flash, pictures blinked through his mind as though he were going through a tunnel. Images that didn't make sense. There was so much red and white. Blood splattered on white cloth, red tubes going into white skin, the red and white of the flag...

"Henry," what are you seeing?" Hawkeye asked.

"What's happening to me?" he asked, in a voice that he didnt' recognize as his own. Henry looked up at Hawkeye. His eyes were wild, "You gave me the pinstripe suit," he exclaimed, almost terrified.

"How did you know that?" Hawkeye asked, trying desperately to stay on even keel.

"I remembered it. I remembered it," he exclaimed again, his voice a mixture of terror and excitement. He started to hyperventilate.

"Breathe deep," Hawkeye coached. "Dad," he yelled.

"I can't breathe," Henry complained.

"Just take a deep breath," Hawkeye coached him and demonstrated. Henry tried to copy him as he knelt on the front lawn.

Hawkeye's cries brought not only the elder Dr. Pierce but the 4077th commerades running.

"Stay back," he ordered the others. "Dad, help me get him into the house."

"There was so much blood," Henry exclaimed, as he fell to his knees again on the porch. "I was a surgeon. I was - oh my -" he hid his face in his hands, unable to continue.

"Henry, can you talk about what you're remembering?" Hawkeye asked.

"I don't know," Henry sobbed.

Hawkeye tried to think back to what he had learned about battlefield psychosis. "The plane. Tell me about the plane," he demanded, giving Henry a starting point.

"My wife - where's Lorraine?" he asked struggling out of the grip of the Dr. Pierces, trying to get to his feet.

At that moment, Sidney pulled up


	12. Reunions

Henry and Lorraine flew to each other. He grabbed her in a tight hug and kiss. Three children piled out of the car. Little Andrew flew and grabbed his father's legs. "Daddy!" he cried gleefully. 

"I've kept your picture in plain view where he could see it and remember," Lorraine cried.

The other two children hung back, unsure of what to think. "It's really me, guys" he said, holding his arms out to them.

"When did his memory come back?" Sidney asked Hawkeye.

"A few minutes before you pulled up. It was the darndest thing. He saw a pinstripe suit, like the one we gave him before we left. Then a plane flew overheard, and something just broke," Hawkeye explained.

"What is that commotion outside?" Louise wondered. She, Peg, Patti, and Mrs. O'Riley had been in the kitchen working on the food preparations. She wandered outside to see the Blake family reunited again.

"It's been so hard without you," she heard Mrs. Blake sob. It made Lousie choke up to realize that it could have been her just as easily who was left a widow with young children to raise.

As Louise stood there, Trapper took a good look at her. She was beautiful, inside and out. He was lucky to have her when all was said and done. Unobtrusively, he went to stand next to her and squeezed her hand. She smiled and nodded. It was thier private signal for 'we need to talk.'

They slipped past the backyard to the beach.

He drew her into a hug. "I love you," he said.

"I love you too John," she replied, hanging on tight.

"I want to give us another chance babe. When we get home, I'm taking a couple of days off to just be with you and the girls. Real quality time."

"And I'm going to ease up on housework. Dust can wait. You can't."

"Ease up?" Trapper asked, suprised. Lousie kept an immaculate home.

"Just a little bit," she promised. She could feel the love flow between them again, as though they had been given a second chance when faced with what they could have lost.

"Then, we'll go on a weekend getaway, just the two of us," he promised. "We'll leave the girls with my parents."

"Just the two of us.. I like the sound of that," she confessed as they held each other against the backdrop of the untamed Eastern shore.

Everyone in the front yard seperated to either the house or the backyard to give the Blakes some time alone they hadn't had in a while.

It was several minutes before Lorraine could not hold Henry as tightly as she did. She had never truly felt that he was gone. After the memorial service, after visiting his grave several times over the past few years, even after seeking help from a counselor, she had never felt that he had died. Now he was here. Her hunches had been right.

"Maggie, we have to go now," Margeret heard her sister call.

"I'm coming," she replied, hurriedly sitting in her chair, a wide smile on her face. Up until now, she hadn't been sure. Now she knew. Excitedly she wheeled out of the room, picturing what it would be like to make that kind of announcement.

"Here, take this, this and this, and can you balance this?" Liz asked, as she placed various dishes in Margaret's lap.

"Emily, wheel me out before she buries me," Margaret joked.

"James, get your butt down here," Liz called.

"Coming, sweetheart," he called as he thundered down the stairs.

"James, wheel her out of here, Emily go unlock the car now, lets go people," Liz ordered as she picked up a bowl of pasta salad..

"And you were the one in the army," James muttered to Margaret as he obediently wheeled her out of the house.

Sherman waited in the terminal, observing the activity around him. Mostly joyful meetings. A few businessmen, he could tell by the way they briskly walked out of the terminal, eager to get on with their agendas, a few tired families that looked grateful to be home.

Then he stepped off the place. A few years older, but who hadn't aged much in the time they'd been home.

"Colonel Potter," Father Mulcahy greeted him.

"Hello Padre. It's great to see you again.

"God bless you, Colonel."

"Oh, it's just plain ol' Sherman now. Let's go get your luggage."

Father Mulcahy held up his bag. "Everything I need is right here. Priests travel light."

"Of course.. Let's go. I'm sure the others will be as happy to see you as I am. How was your trip?" Sherman asked, turning away from his old friend.

Father Mulcahy was looking straight ahead as he walked alongside him, unaware that any words had been spoken.

Col. Potter tapped his old friend on the shoulder. "Padre, are you okay?" he asked.

"Yes. Splendid. Why?" he asked looking directly at the Colonel.

"I just asked you how your flight was."

"Oh, um, perhaps it's fatigue. I am a bit weary," the priest said. He knew it would have to come out sometime that he could no longer hear, but he was nervous as to how all his old friends would react. He had become very good at adapting. While working with deaf children, he had learned alongside them about sign language and lip reading. No one could tell he was deaf unless he told them, or unless they talked to him without looking at him as the old colonel had just done.

"Well, let's check you in at the hotel,and you can have a little siesta," Sherman suggested.

"That would be wonderful," Father Mulcahy agreed. He fretted about the evening, because he had seen it many times in OR with one of the wounded. If one of the boys lost a limb or his sight, his commerades would treat him differently. He had spent many nights in Post OP, not only counseling men who were missing parts they came with, but the friends who realized that the same fate could have been theirs.


	13. Expectations

"Where are you going with that?" Margaret asked as Hawkeye swept through the kitchen carrying a big box. 

"Where do you think?" Hawkeye asked as he hurried toward the back door.

"You are not going to set up that contraption?" Margaret asked in disbelief.

"I have to. This is a classic," Hawkeye explained.

"We have access to the finest quality booze available and you want to serve that turpentine?" Margaret asked in disbelief.

"It will be just like old times," Hawkeye gleefully remarked as he swept out the door.

"He actually kept the still?" Louise McIntyre asked in disbelief.

"He actually kept it. I thought he had thrown it away," Margaret mused.

"Trapper wrote me about it all the time," Louise remarked.

"It was absolutely disgusting, and it got all of us through," Margaret said.

"What do I need to take out?" Radar asked as he swept into the kitchen.

"Oh, we can take it out there, Radar," Margaret said.

Oh no, sir.. ma'am. Hawkeye says no one is to see the backyard until it's ready. So us guys are going to take the food back there and get everything all set up."

"Oh, Radar, let us see what they're doing back there," Patti coaxed, putting her arms around him

"Oh no, you don't. You're going to stay here with the rest of the ladies," Radar insisted, smiling as he gave her a kiss on the cheek.

"Very well, you can take that, and that..." Margaret said handing him two of the various bowls that adorned the kitchen island.

"I can't wait to see what they're doing out there," Patti mused, as she stirred some punch.

"The way Hawkeye has been bouncing around, it's going to be spectacular," Margaret predicted.

"I can't belive we're going to go sightseeing around Crabapple Cove," Charles said to Ellie as they made their way down to the hotel lobby.

"Someimes, small towns offer the best shopping," Ellie said.

"Humbug, downtown Boston is the only place to buy anything worth purchasing," Charles told her. "Why.. goodness gracious. Father Mulcahy," Charles called.

The priest stood there at the registration desk as though he hadn't heard a word. "Father, it's great to see you again," Charles declared as he walked toward the priest.

Father Mulcahy jumped as he saw Charles standing next to him.

"Well, Winchester, splendid to see you," Father Mulcahy said. "How have you been?"

"I'm cheif of Thorrasic Surgery at Boston General. This here is my lovely fiance, Ellie."

"Pleased to meet you," Ellie said extending her hand.

"Ah yes, I remember you. You were with the entertainment troop that visited the 4077th.." Father Mulcahy said.

"Sir, here is your room key," the desk clerk said as she held it out.

"Yes, that Fast Fingered Freddy you were with was quite a character indeed," Father Mulcahy remembered. "What are you doing now Ellie?"

"I'm with the Boston Symphony," Ellie explained.

"Sir, here is your room key," the hotel clerk repeated a little louder. Charles carefully watched Father Mulcahy as he spoke with Ellie. He was watching her mouth. Charles had noticed the same thing when Father Mulcahy was talking to him.

"Father," Charles broke in, tapping him on the shoulder. "Your room key," he gestured toward the clerk.

"Oh, goodness. Thank you so much," Father Mulcahy, said, accepting it.

" Your room is 132," the clerk said looking down at the map.

"I'm sorry. Could you repeat that?" Father Mulcahy said.

"Your room is 132," the clerk repeated, looking directly at him.

"Thank you. Well, if you two will excuse me, I'm going to go freshen up before the reunion. God bless you both," Father Mulcahy said, before retreating.

Winchester stood looking after him for a moment, contemplating what they had just seen.

"Charles, are you okay?" Ellie asked, touching his shoulder.

"I do believe Father Mulcahy is deaf," Winchester said. He was hoping he was wrong. He just coming to terms with the fact that his own nephew, Honoria's son, couldn't hear. He hated that he would have to face the possibility of dealing with it at the reunion.

Honoria had married two months after Charles's return from Korea. Little Alexander had been born ten months later. It was recently they discovered he couldn't hear. Honoria and her husband had been devestated. Charles, formerly the doting uncle, had a hard time being around his nephew.

Charles wanted to belive that his time in Korea had made him a kinder more gentle, more accepting person. However, confronted with his nephews handicap, he belived that he hadn't changed as much as he fancied. It was terribly difficult for him to belive that anyone with an imperfection was of Winchester blood. He had unknowingly held on to the childish tendancies that the Winchester blood made everyone it touched perfect, and it sickened him that he had such a difficulty accepting his little nephew that couldn't help the way he was born.And it made him ill that will all his expertise in pediatrics, and all his years of medicine, he could not cure Alexander.

He had been looking forward to this weekend as a way to escape his feelings for a few days. The last thing he wanted was to be confronted with yet another person who couldn't hear.

"Let's go," he said, escorting Ellie out of the hotel.

Charles had to admit that the strip of street that made downtown Crabapple did have a certain charm to it.A Rexhalls drug stood on the corner, proudly proclaiming it's 5 cent sundaes. In the center of it all was a movie theater, proudly displaying it's latest picure, and a sundry of small shops that Charles knew he'd never find in Boston.

"Ohhh, what adorable dresses," Ellie exclaimed as they stopped in front of "Fawn's Dresses," she tried to drag Charles inside.

"I shall be at the shop next door when you have finished drooling," he said, gently pulling away.

He didn't even realize until he was in the store that it was a record store, and he was standing in front of the classical music selections. Bach, Beethoven, Motzart, selections he enjoyed at the Boston Symphony. His eyes wandered back to Beethoven. Beethoven couldn't hear, but yet by sawing the piano legs, Charles remembered, he had been able to create masterpieces.

He supposed part of his difficulty in dealing with someone that couldn't hear, is that he imagined it to be a fate worse than death. Personally Charles would rather lose his life than be unable to hear the swirling of violins, or the pounding force of timpani drums. Yet Beethoven hadn't let his inability to hear stop him. In Beethoven's case, his disability, had perhaps been his blessing. He had never before seen a disibility in that light. As Charles stood there, he realized music had once again been his comforter, and his teacher. It would always be.


End file.
